books

I've skipped a few days and I am going to skip a few more days. There is one week out of the month I just do not want to tell the internet how much I weigh and the disgusting things I'm eating. So here is a list of some of my favorite books. They have nothing to do with weight loss or fitness, they are just books that I would recommend reading because they are great. And I'm not going to talk about what they're about because I don't want to give anything away.

1. East of Eden by John Steinbeck. ALL TIME FAVORITE BOOK. I am very wishy washy and can never decide my favorites of anything, but this book is so good I cried when I finished it. I was happy because it was great but I WANTED MORE. Man. I'm going to start re reading it tomorrow. He should have won the Nobel for this instead of Pastures of Heaven. I love Pastures of Heaven but East of Eden deserved it so much more.

(sidenote, the rest of these aren't in order of how much i like them. i could never decide that.)

2. Of Human Bondage by W Somerset Maugham. This is great to read if you have just graduated and have no idea what is going to happen with your life and you are scared. I read it after quitting University for the second time after changing my major three times after running away from my problems too many times. Also my boyfriend had just left me for another girl for the second time and I moved to a different country than where all my friends were. This is a good book to read if you are in that sort of mindset. It will make you feel better, as long as you get to the end.

3. Song of Solomon OR Beloved by Toni Morrison. I love Toni Morrison. She writes so beautifully. Really some of the most heartbreakingly beautiful words I've ever read.

4. The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens. Really anything by Dickens is worth reading, but Quilp is so freaking fascinating to me. I mean, Dickens isn't where to go if you're looking for something really deep and meaningful, but if you want an amazingly intricate, insanely detailed story with lots and lots of wild and crazy characters you can become really attached to, Dickens is your man. I take forever to read anything by him, he's one of my favorite authors.

5.  Pretty much anything by John Irving except Setting Free the Bears. If anyone else had that many recurring elements in every single book they write I would hate them, but John Irving can do whatever the hell he wants and I will like it. I wouldn't recommend Setting Free the Bears but he gets one free pass considering how many other awesome books he's written.

6. The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka. I hated this book at first. After giving it more than two seconds' thought and actually making an effort at understanding the metaphors I loved it.

7. The Stranger by Albert Camus. I've read three different translations of this. I was totally obsessed with it after I read it for the first time. I even tried reading it in the original french a few times but my french is hooooorrible. If you speak french you would probably enjoy it even more. If not you may still thoroughly enjoy it. This was my introduction to existentialism and it was exactly what I was looking for at the time. Another good book to read if you're feeling lost.

Some Poets I Like
e.e. cummings
Frank O'Hara
Tony Hoagland
Charles Bukowski
Billy Collins

I am sleepy. There are probably a lot more books I will wish I had put on here but too bad.